Improvement in corn-planters



A. H. STARK & J. C. MITCHELL Improvement in Corn Planters.

Patented Oct. 24,1871.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM H. STARK AND JOHN G. hll'ltllll ll ill, OF NEVADA, I()\\"A.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 120,340, dated October 34, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ABRAHAM H. STARK and JOHN U. MICIGHELL, of Nevada, in the county of Story and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Uorirllanter; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section ofour improved corn-planter taken through the line Jar, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same, parts being broken away to show the construction. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the dropping device enlarged, and part being broken away. Fig. 4 is a detail cross-section of the same taken through the line 3 y of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail top view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corrcspou d ing parts.

Our invention has for its object to furnish an improved self-dropping check-row corn-planter, which shall be simple in construction,reliable and uniform in operation, and easily controlled; and it consists in the construction and combination of various parts of the machine, as hereinafter more fully described.

A is the frame of the machine, in bearings attached to the rear part of the side bars of which revolves the axle B. U are the wheels which re volve upon the journals of the axle B, and have spring-pawls l) attached to their inner sides, which take hold of the ratchet-wheels E attached to the axle B, so that the said wheels may carry the said axle with. them when they turn forward, but may turn backward without turning said axle, for convenience in turning the machine. To the forward ends of the side bars of the frame A is pivoted a cross-bar, F, by means of lugs or short arms attached to said cross-bar. To the ends of the crossbar F are attached the forward parts of the raves G, the rear parts of which are connected and held in their proper relative position by t cross-bar, H. I is the tongue, which is securely attached to the cross-bars 1 H. J are the runners that open the ground to receive the seed. The forward ends of the runners J are securely attached to the forward parts of the raves G. The rear ends of the runners J are made forked, as

shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to spread apart the sides of the furrow to receive the seed and also to re ceive the lower end of the cast-iron case K, to a vertical liange upon the for 'ard side of which the said runners are bolted. The upper end of the case K is securely bolted to the rear part of the raves G. l) are two (mmhuitor-tulres, which are secured to the case K, the upper ends of the tubes L communicating with two holes in the top plate of the case K or in the rear partol' the raves (i. The lower ends of the tubes I1 terminate a little above the bottom plate ofsaid case K. M N are two plates which are pivoted to the top and bottom plates of the cases K, and at a little distance from their pivotingpoints are rigidly connected by a rod, 0, which passes through a slot in the top plate of the case K, and thus causes the said plates M F to move together. The lower plate N is placed in the space between the lower ends of the tubes L and the bottom plate of the case ii, and has two holes formed in it to receive the corn from said tubes L and drop itinto the bottom of the furrow through a notch or hole in the middle part of the bottom plate of the said case K. The holes in the plate N are so arranged that when one of said holes is beneath the lower end of one of the tubes 11 the lower end of the other tube may be covered by a solid part of the plate N, and the other hole in said plate may be directly over the hole or opening in the bottom plate of the use K, the holes in the plate N thus dropping corn alternately. The upper plate M is placed above the rave Gr or the top plate of the case K, and has its middle part cut away to reccivea small detachable plate, in, which has two holes formed through it of such a size as to contain the exact amount of seed required for a hill. It is designed to have several of the plates m with ditt'erentsized holes, so that they may be changed, as required, according as the size of the seed or the amount of seed desired for a hill may vary. 1 represents the bottom of the hopper, which has a hole formed in it in such a position as to be directly over one of the holes in the small plate m when the other of the holes in said plate may be directly over the upper end of one of the tubes L, the holes in the plate in thus receiving seed alternately and dropping it into the tubes L to be dropped to the ground by the plate N. (3 is a cone formed upon an arm attached to the bottom of the case K and so arranged that the eone Q may be directlybeneath the diseharge-tipening in the lmttom-plate of the ease K, so as to scatter the seed as it drops from said opening, the forks of the runners J keeping the seed from tlyingoutol' the furrow. The plates )1 N are operated by the sliding bar it, the ends of which pass through holes in the inner sides of the eases K and are connected with the rod 0, which connects the said plates M N. To the centerot' the sliding bar It is rigidly attaehed an upwardly-proiectiug pin arm, 5, which passes through a slot in the forward end of the lever T, which is pivoted, at or near its center, to a crossbarot' the frame A. Tothe rear end of the lever T is rigidly attached a V shaped block, I with its point upward. To the axle ii are attached two arms, \',whieh project in opposite directions and are so arranged as to strike alternately the opposite inelined sidesof the V- shaped block U, and thus oseillate the lever T and sliding bar It to drop the seed. The part of the arms V that eome in eontaet with the sides of the block U should have rollers placed upon them to diminish the friction. W is a. lever whieh is pivoted to a standard, X, attached to the eenter ofa crossbar of the frame A. The tor-ward end of the lever \V is connected with the cross-bar II by two rods. Y, so that by operating the level \V the runners J may he raised from the ground or adjusted to work more or less deeply in the ground as may be desired. Z is a standard attached to a rear erosslmrof the frame A, and \vhieh is slot;- ted or has a keeper attached to it to receive the rear part of the lever W. The standard Z has several holes formed in it to rereive a pin,whieh maybe plaeed above the lever W when holding the runners J raised from the ground, and whieh may be plaeed below said lever to hold the runners down to their work and prevent them. from being raised by the resistance of the ground. To the rear end of the lever \V, which terminates just in front of the drivers seat A, are attached stirrups B, whieh serve as supports for the drivers feet and enable him to raise the runners J from the ground with his feet by withdrawing the pin in the standard Z from beneath said lever. (,l are gauge-shoes, the rear ends of which are made broad and are connected With the forward parts of the runners J by hooks or clasps I), so that they may be held securely in place and, at the same time, may be moved longitudinally upon the runners, as required. The formtrd ends of the shoes 0 are made narrow and terminate in or have attached to them an arm, E, which passes up through a hole in the forward ends of the raves G, and has several holes formed in it to recei\ e a pin which rests upon the upper side of the said raves and prevents the shoes 0 from being drawn back by the friction of the ground.

5y this construction, by adjusting the gaugeshoes (1, the depth to which the runners J enter the ground may be regulated as desired.

Having thus deseribed our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. in corn-planters, the combination of a hopper havinga single hole in its bottom I; a measure, m, of the quantity of grain to be planted; a case, K, arranged thereunder, having two holes and a slot in the top, andhaving one central diseharge-hole in bottom; plates M N, rigidly eoir neeted, movable together, and having two holes apieee therein; and the tubes L L extending not quite to the bottom of case, all constructed and arranged as and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with an adjustable shoe, 0, the clasp I) and the arm 1*), to fasten the said shoe detachably to the frame of the planter and the runner thereof.

A. H. STARK. J. G. MITCHELL.

\Vituesses:

'1. J. Ross,

'1. U. DAVIS. (133) 

